Mother ship



Oct. 9, 1945. ,L. v. BELL MOTHER SHIP F iled March 11. 1943 1 7 Sheets-Sheet '2 ATTD RN EYS .56 INVENTOR.

l lllli l l rlr L. V. BELL MOTHER SHIP Oct. 9, 1945.

7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 11, 1943 ooooboooob oo AITDRNEYS Def. 9, 1945. 1.. v. BELL- 4 2,386,650

MOTHER SHIP 7 Filed March 11, 1943 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 0! Z -INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Oct. 9,1945. L. BELL A 2,386,650

v MOTHER SHIP 467" l/BZZIIViVENTOR.

' jaayzamrai Oct. 9, 194 5. 1.. v. BELL MOTHER SHIP Filed March 11, 1945 7 sheets-sheath 1 0y 6/ I NVENT0R.

Oct. 9, 1945. I I v. BELL 2,336,650

MOTHER SHIP Filed March 11, 1943 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS ymfea of the sternlend'.

ofFigure 35.

table.

. Figure 1.7 is a face view-cifsternpdoorsa I Patented Oct. 9, 1945 I mornensmr' Leroy Bell, Wakefield, 58,51. Application ai-c 111, 194e, SeriaTNo. 478,805

' (Cl ..11'443.5)i

. v 15:0laims; Myinvention relates to naval .crafl' and has among its objects and advantages the provision ofan improved mother ship provided'with novel means jorhousing and transporting a large number of smaller jboats; such .asisubmarincs, torpedo boats and the like, wherein novellmeans are incorporated to ,facilitate loadin storage and launching. of the smaller boats.

In the accompanying. drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of'the partly in section. Figure "2 isa stern end view.

mother boat Figure :3v is. a sectional view "taken. along the line '3- .,3 oIfFigure Figure 411s a diagrammaticplan view .of the mother "boat;

.Figure 5 is an enlarged .lhorizontal ,planlview of the stem end.

Figure fii is an. enlargedverticalsectional.view

Figure '2 is .a sectionalview alongijthe line 1-4 .Fiure .s. is-asectional .view a along. the. line a. ;a. 01 Figure 5;.

Figure 9 is a sectional along.the.line.--9;

of figured I Figure 1.0 Iis a sectional view alongi'the line ifl-QIJlof Eigurei. r V

Figure ll .is. an enlarged nIan view. of a turn- .Eigure 1 2 islan..elevational of'thestructure. of figure-11:. f I

Figure 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line. i31-l3 of Figure 11. .igure 14 is an enlarged; sectional. view'taken;

alongtheline-.I4l-4oIsEigure '11.. e

ng re 15,- is a plan. view of boat balancin ramps. I I Figure 1.64s :a side view.

I Figure .18 isle view taken from the position indicatedby line lB--:l8 of F gure .157; illustratin door actuatlngmeans.

Figure 19isa viewctrsidedocrsr I 1 Figure-:20 is a diagrammatic viewrfllustrating:

operating means for the doors of Figure 19.;

Figure 2-1 is. a diagrammatic view illustrating the-manner in which boats f types :are

-supportedeonia cradle.

Eigure 22 is a top planview eand sureza risan-end view. 1

lathe embodiment of the invention selected or illustration, .1 made use 39f a mother shi -1:2, wherein the hull. 14 is. provided with deer openin slfirunon opnosite -sidcs ,-ther\eoi, Each open- :6

ing is normally closed by a -hing ed door I18. Small "boats may pass through the openings and into upwardly inclined channels 20. A channel is providedforeacl door opening l6. "Tracks 22 are mounted on the bottoms of the inclined channels on whichboat carrying cradles 24 are adapted .to run for conveying the boats onto tracks '25 on a turntable 28. The outer or lower ends of the channels 211 are submerged sufiiciently far to permit the boats to pass partly through the door openingson their own power, at which time the "hoatsere easily loaded onithe cradles.

Figure 15 illustrates tracks .30 running longitudinallyof the ship l2 forwardly and ,rearwardly of the ship andconverging toward the turntable .2 8.,.sjo that the boatloaded cradles loaded on the turntable. they be transferred, onto any of the tracks .30 and stored on thedeck 32.

. The turntable 28 comprises a circular frame s'tructure-illlemounted on wheels 36 running on circular ,rails38. Tworamps 40 are mounted to,.lpiv.ot.on a supporting' shaft 4.2. This shaft is located intermediate the ends of the ramps Ml, the ramps being .locatedin parallel relationship on opposite sides .of. the axisof the-frame struc- .ture 34. Dnetrack. or two rails 26 are mounted .on-each ramp 4.0. ,Ilhcse rails are of the same gauge .as the railsafl, .so that boat laden cradles on the tracks26 may be easily transferred onto the tracks 30.

,Means for tilting the ramps dfl to facilitate loading of boats .on the turntable, such as the boat 44 of Figure 3, comprises two large wheels 46 mounted at diametrically. opposite points on the frame structure 34. Each wheel is provided with handles 48.. Each wheel is connected with one ramp 40 so that the rampsmaybe independently I -operated.

InFi gure 13, the hand wheel 46 is rotatably mounted on .a pedestal 50 provided with a gear boxjlatitsupper end. A shaft 54 is fixed to the wheel 46 and isprovided with a bevel gear 56 arranged in mesh with a .bevel gear 5.8 mounted on a-support Bil for rotation about a vertical axis. This bevel gear is fixed we pinion =62 meshing with two pinions 54-. Each pinion s4 is fixed to a; vertical shaft 66' which extend downwardly to points beneath the frame structure 34. The

. wheels-46 and their associated structure are identical, so that the description of one will apply to both. a

. .InFigures la-and 14, the lower ends of the I Right hand threads are gprnv-idedon one shaft and left hand threadson-theother. ,abqdv 10 is threadediy the floors I20 are of the same construction.

Figures 15 and 16, the floors I20 are pivotally connected with each shaft, each body being provided with pins I 2. Two levers I4 are located underneath the frame 34 and are pivotally supported intermediate their ends in bearings 16. Each lever is provided with two straps I8 at one end, these straps being slotted at 80 for the reception of the two pins 12 on one of the bodies 10. A link 82 i pivotally connected at 84 with .16 opposite end of each beam I4, andthe upper end of the link is pivotally connected at 86 with one ramp 40. The pivotal connections 86 are located on opposite sides of the shaft 42, see Figure 11, so that rotation of the wheel 46 will cause one body I to climb upwardly on one shaft 66 and the other body I0 downwardly on the other shaft.

beams pivoting in opposite directions'to rock tion of its respective wheel I30. The floors I20 are independently operated.

Boats are easily loaded onto the floors I20 by pivoting the floors to the dotted line position of Figure 16, at which time the boats may be easily transferred onto the tracks 30 aligning with those floors. The floors I20 may also be employed to carry boats when the floors are in their horizontal positions, so that the ramps I I2 and H4 also function as storage facilities All the ramps" IIO through II6 decline rearwardly so as to provide channels I42 into which the boats are easily floated best illustrated in Figure l0.

, Such movement of the bodies' 'TO 1 impart pivotal movement to the beam-14, the ing is'independent of the other two doors.

the ramp 40 about the aXis of the shaft 42; Thus" the ramps 40 may be adjusted easily to declining positions to facilitate loading of the boats. The ramps 40 may be inclined in the same direction simultaneously or reversely. When inclined, the low ends of the ramps extend sufficiently far in the water to permit the boat 44 to be easily loaded on the cradle on the rails 26.

Figure 19 and 20 illustrate the manner in which the doors I8 are operated. Two doors I8 are grouped for each door opening I6. The two doors at each opening are hinged at their far edges. Both groups are operated simultaneously,

the doors on one side of the hull being independent of the doors on the other side.

In Figure 20, a horizontal screw 88 is rotatably mounted in supports 90 and 92. is fixed to the screw 88 for driving connection with a suitable power mechanism (not shown). A sleeve 96 is threadedly connected with the screw 88. Two diverging rods 98 are attached to the sleeve 06 and to sleeves I00 slidably mounted on parallel guide rods I02. These guide rods are fixedly supported in mounts I04 attached to a suitable supporting structure in they ship.

Two rigid links I06 are pivotally connected with each sleeve. I00. Each link I06 is pivotally connected at I08 with one door I0 near its edge opposite the hinges of that door. Thus the doors I8 may be opened and closed through rotation of the screw 88.

In Figures 5, 9 and 10, four declining ramps I20, H2, H4, and H6 are located upon opposite sides of the stern end of the hull. The ramps H0 and 156 are provided with track rails II8 tracks 30. All the ramps H2 and H4 include pivoted floors I20 each provided with two track rails I22 constituting continuations of certain of the tracks in the stern end of the boat. All In mounted intermediate their ends on shafts I24. The shafts I24 are located transversely of the hull. Boats may be loaded onto the track rails H8 and I22 through stern door openings I20 sleeve I34 threadedly connected therewith. A"

lever I35 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to a fixed support I38, and the other end of the lever has a link connection I with one end of the floor I20. Thus the floor I20 may be pivoted to difierent positions through rota- A gear. 94

cradles 24 two doors in each group being hinged at I56 to bring their free edges into abuttingengagement in their closed position. power operated gear IE8 is fixed to .the screw I48, which gear may be driven by a suitable power device (not shown).

Columns I60 are erected at suitable intervals along the two sides of the tracks 30,. whichcolumns constitute means for suppcrting the boats and cradles on the tracks, particularly when the ship is riding heavy waves. Figure 23 illustrates the arrangement of ,the columns I60 with respect to one of the tracks 30. Tie lines may be employed for more firmly anchoring the boats and the cradles to the columns.

Figures 21, 22 and 23 illustrate'one of the This cradle includes a frame I62 provided with flanged wheels I64 which run on the track 30. I Pull lines I66 are attached to the frame I62, and lines I 68 may'connect with the pull lines I66 to tie the boat to the cradle. Various types of boats are illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 21 in association with the cradle 24 illustrated therein.

In Figure 16, a cage I10 is mounted on an overhead rail structure I12. Th se cages are power operated. Rail structures I'I2 are arranged above all the tracks 30 so that the boat laden cradles may be pulled along the tracks throughout their entire lengths. Such power operated cages are old and well known in the art.

A water duct I14opens' through the bottom of the boat,'as at H6 in Figure 6. A power driven screw I18 is arranged in the duct I14 for conveying water rearwardly of the boat for passage through branch ducts I80 vand into the channels 20 and I42 to insure an ample'supply of water for the boats. While the boats 44 can best be loaded through the side channels 20 when the mother ship is standing still, the boats may be 'easily loaded through the channels I42 even though the mother ship is under full speed. This is also true with respect to launching of the boats. v v

The turntable 28 is located'in such relation to all the tracks as to constitute a transfer point facilitating storage of the boats, as well as transfer of the boats to different tracks, dependin upon the needs of fast'changing operating conditions. The drawings illustrate the turntable 28in the sternregion of the ship.' The ship is also'providedwith a second turntable in its forward part for coaction with the forwardly exabout the doors to facilitate launching and retending tracks 30. Small doors vI82 are provided for the two side ramps H0. These doors may be manually operated, or power controlled, as desired. An upper deck I84 is provided for the storage of airplanes. are indicated at I86.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the'same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A mother ship construction for receiving, storing and launching small boats, comprising a hull formed with a plurality of door openings, partially below the water line to receive and discharge small boats therethrough, a. deck-like structure within the hull formed with a turn table section, tracks on the turntable section, means for tilting the tracks on the turntable section; inclined channels leading from the turntable section to the doors and having tracks with which the tracks of the turntable are adapted to selectively register when tilted, cradles on the tracks for receiving boats thereon, means for moving the ,cradles tc draw boats up the tracks in the channels and onto the turntable, storage deck-like structures having tracks selectively aligning with those on the turntable, doors for the hull openings, means for delivering water to boats on the cradles in the channels in the area The mother ship propellers ceiving boats on the cradles, said means including water ducts and propellers within the hull.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the deck-like structure and turntable are above water level, and the openings in the hull are partially below water level, and the channels are inclined from the level of the deck-like structure to the level of the openings.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the turntable is formed with independently tiltable sections, means for tilting the sections and the turntable tracks carried on the sections, and wherein said water ducts have intakes below water level, and said ducts lead to the channels to maintain therein a desired water level in the area adjacent the doors.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the storage tracks extend longitudinally of the certain of thechannels, and wherein supporting columns are disposed along thre storage tracks for the boats stored thereon.

LEROY V. BELL. 

